Manchester City will be without four key players when they face Manchester United in this Saturday’s Community Shield clash at Wembley.
Rodri, John Stones, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker—who all played crucial roles for their national teams in the Euro 2024 finals—won’t be available, as they are scheduled to resume pre-season training only next week.
Pep Guardiola, who recently reintegrated several international stars back into the squad, will need to carefully manage their fitness as the Premier League opener against Chelsea looms just over a week away.
Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, and the new arrival Savinho are yet to feature in pre-season matches.
However, the relatively low-stakes nature of the Community Shield might offer them a chance to gain valuable match minutes, particularly as United’s squad faces similar challenges with player availability.
Throughout the summer, City has dealt with a few injury concerns, with Ederson, Erling Haaland, and Rico Lewis experiencing minor setbacks during the club’s tour in the United States.
While Lewis is the likely candidate to fill the right-back spot in Walker’s absence, a hamstring injury has ruled out Josh Wilson-Esbrand, reducing Guardiola’s options for the defensive line.
Young talents like Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee are also on standby, eager to seize any opportunity that comes their way in this season’s curtain-raiser.
City’s predicted starting XI for Saturday’s match could see Ortega in goal, with a defense comprising Lewis, Dias, Akanji, and Gvardiol.
In midfield, De Bruyne might be paired with Mateo Kovacic, while a forward line of Oscar Bobb, Silva, Grealish, and Haaland will look to make an impact upfront.
On the other hand, Manchester United have received a significant boost ahead of their Community Shield clash against Manchester City at Wembley, with Harry Maguire returning to the squad.
The team departed from Manchester for London, taking the train to the capital, mirroring their travel arrangements for the FA Cup final just 11 weeks prior.
Maguire, who was a notable absentee in United’s 3-0 friendly defeat to Liverpool in South Carolina last weekend, had been sidelined as a precaution.
His involvement in the highly anticipated fixture against City was uncertain, with manager Erik ten Hag labeling him as a “question mark” during a press conference on Thursday.
Despite these concerns, the 31-year-old center-back has been included in the squad traveling to London for what will be United’s opening match of the season.
The defensive lineup, however, remains in flux. Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Luke Shaw were all missing as the squad boarded their train at Stockport Station.
Ten Hag acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding their availability, stating, “Harry missed the game against Liverpool as a precaution, but his status for Saturday is still up in the air. Victor played, but he, along with Azza (Wan-Bissaka) and Luke Shaw, remains a question mark. We’ll assess them after training tomorrow.”
Adding an interesting subplot to the match, 17-year-old Harry Amass, who impressed during United’s pre-season tour in the United States, is in contention to make his debut.
The youngster started in all three of United’s pre-season games, showcasing his potential and earning the trust of Ten Hag.
As United prepares to face their cross-town rivals at Wembley, the fitness of these key players could play a pivotal role in their bid to secure the first piece of silverware in the new season.
The stage is set for what promises to be an exciting showdown between the two Manchester giants.
Kick-off is set for 3:00 PM BST at Wembley, where City will aim to begin the new season with silverware despite their key absences.
